Screw cap



Dec. 9, 1930. H, J, ARR 1,784,089

SCREW CAP Filed March 18, 1927 INVENTOR [ma/(II (Zr/ BY fi ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED s'rA as PATENT OFFICE HAROLD J. CARR, OI NEW YORK, H. .Y., ASSIGK'OB TOAN'CHOB GA? & CLOSURE COB- POBLTION, LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OI NEW YORK BOBIWOAP Application filed Iaroh 18,

The present invention relates to closure caps and more particularly to a screw cap having portions adapted t'o'be deformed to facilitate removal thereof.

One of the difficulties encountered in the use of screw caps is their tendenc to adhere to the threads of containers there y reventing ready removal. The mechanicaFdevices which have-been developed for unscrewin 1othe caps, usually com rise a band whic encircles the cap toget er with an arm 'exv tending laterally therefrom to which pressure may be a plied to rotate the cap. The contraction o the band about the cap in- 16. creases as pressure is applied. This squeezes the skirt of the cag ainst the container but the leverage a or ed by the laterally extending arm permits the necessary force to be applied to detach the cap. "Frequently break e occurs and the operator is subjected tti the anger of being injured by the broken Then too, many. consumers do not have the necessary opening devices for screw caps l5 and resort to tappi fig the outer edge of the cover to loosen it. is is even more danger: V ous due to the factthat small pieces of glass may be chipped from the mouth or the container and lodge in the food without being to noticed. Caps"havebeen formed withannular beads or bulges intermediate theskirt and cover portion to permit tapping without breakage. This expediency is likewise unsatisfactory.

85 The resent invention overcomes these diflicultles by minimizing the tendency of the ca to adhere to the container and y pro-' vi ing in addition an effective" means for overcoming any tendency of the cap to stick when it is desired to remove it. r, Y

An object of the invention is to minimize;

the tendency of a screwcap to adhere to a container; and to provide an effective means of overcoming any tendency of the capto stick.

, Another object of the invention is to minimize the breakage of the containers oc-- casioned by the removal of screw caps by present a pliances.

A er object of the invention is to lease its hold on the threads.

1 and description and is shown in the 1927. Serial Io. 176,808.

facilitate the removal of a screw cap b expanding the skirt in a circumferential direction' so that it, may be detached without difliculty. f I

Other and further objects of the invention will be*obvious upon an understanding of the illustrated embodiment about to be described; and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in ractice.

n'accordance with these objects, the preferred form of cap is provided with an interrupted "thread formed b spirally arranged rojections which, if oined to ther, would orm a continuous thread. 11 this way the surface ofthe cap in contact with the container is reduced to a minimum and the chance of the formation of rust is not so great. Further, the formation of rust, if any, exists on a small area and the tendency to resist detachment may be readily overcome. A series of vertical ribs are provided intermediate the thread engaging projection. These ribs not only facilitate grippin' -of the container manually or by means 0 an appliance, but they also form outwardly extending rojections lwhich may be deformed or attened to expand the skirt of thecap circumferentially and loosen same upon the container. 'Tapping in either a circumferential or radial direction is very.

effective as a means of loosening the cap.

Since the tapping or pressure for deforming the ribs is at, substantially the center of the skirt and not at-the top thereof, thereis little danger of chipping) theglass container. If the usual mechanical appliance. is ap-- lied to such a cap, the constriction of the and fitting about the cap, instead of binding the cap against the threads, will depress the I ribs and expand the cap-so that it will re- A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for "purposes of illustration panying drawings, wherein Fig. .1 is a s1de elevational view of the closure; v

accomioo Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the closure;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the closure;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view through the cap along the line 44 of Fig. 1

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the closure applied to a container;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the closure applied to a container, the container being shown in elevation;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the vertical rib in its normal condition; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional View showing the vertical rib slightly flattened.

Referring .to the drawings, there is shown a closure cap having a cover portion 1 and a depending skirt 2 with its lower edge rolled to form a head or Wire edge 4. A series of projections 5 are arranged circumferentially of the skirt in the form of a spiral, whereby if the ends of the respective projections were joined, a continuous thread would be formed. In this way the projections will engage the continuous threads 6 on the container 7. It will be understood that the projections 5 may be of any desired length. The liner or gasket 8 may be fitted in the upper portion of the cap to form an edge seal in the usual manner. The projections being canted slightly to the cover portion of the cap engage throughout their length the respective threads on the container and furnish a strong locking lug. The wire edge 4 strengthens the bottom of the skirt thereby preventing the cap from expanding during application. The wire edge also improves the appearance of the cap. The upper portion of the skirt of the cap may be knurled as shown at 3 to improveits appearance and to strengthen this portion of the skirt.

Intermediate the thread engaging proj ections 5, which preferably are four in num her, are a series of vertical ribs 9. 'lVhil'e these ribs or projections may be of any desired shape they are here shown extending substantially the entire width of the skirt pressed outwardly from the plane of the skirt to facilitate tapping or otherwise fiattening to expand the skirt of the cap. This form of rib likewise has the'advantage ofstrengthening the skirt in a vertical direction and also facilitatesmanual gripping or the attachment of a suitable mechanical device for removing the cap. In the case of the usual device, the gripping band will squeeze the projections 9 and instead of constricting and binding the cap about the container it will actually depress the ribs to loosen the cap thereon. This is illustrated in Figs. 7

- and 8. It will be noted that in Fig. 8 where the rib is shown flattened the skirt of the cap is enlarged and fits loosely upon the container. These laterally protruding ribs also permit tapping in a circumferential direction to jar the cap loose if necessary.

The cover portion of the cap is provided with arcuate panels 11 which improve the appearance of the cap and also increase the rigidity of the cover portion thereof. Preferably these panels are four in number and are arranged adjacent the thread engaging projections 5 with the gaps 12 between their ends adjacent the vertical ribs 9.

In removing the cap from a container the ribs 9 may be flattened bypressure upon a flat object or by tapping with a suitable device to expand the skirt in a circumferential direction. Thereafter the cap may be rotated without difficulty from...tl1e container. If desired, the projections 9 may be tapped in a circumferential direction to jar it loose and to initiate its rotative movement.

It will be seen that the present invention provides an inexpensive screw cap readily applicable to commercial containers. The relatively,short thread engaging lugs prevent adherence of the cap to the container and the vertical ribs permit expansion of the skirt to loosen it or tapping of the skirt in a circumferential direction to initiate the rotative movement of the cap for its removal.

It will be understood that the shape of the thread engaging projections may be materially changed without departing from-the scope of the invention and it willalso be understood that features of the invention are equally applicable to closure caps having lugs. suitable for application to containers having interrupted threads. Various other changes may be made and it is therefore de sired that the above description be taken as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a closure cap comprising thread engagin spirally disposed in the skirt thereo out-' wardly extending projections intermediate said lugs adapted to be flattened to increase the circumferential size of the cap, thereby to facilitate removal of said cap from a container.

2. As an article'of manufacture, a screw cap comprising a cover portion, a depending skirt, an interrupted thread formed by circumferential projections spirally arranged in the skirt of said cap, and outwardly ex tending projections intermediate said circumferential projections adapted to be flattened to increase the circumferential length between projections thereby to facilitate the removal of said cap from a container.

3. As an article of manufacture, a screw cap adapted. to be applied to a continuous thread container comprising a cover portion, a dependin skirt, a plurality of inwardly extending tIiread engaging projections spirally arranged, and a plurality of outwardlugs ly extending vertical ribs intermediate said projections ada ted to be flattened to facihtate removal 0 said cap.

4. As an article of manufacture, a screw cap adapted to be applied to a continuous thread container comprising a cover port on, a depending skirt, a series of pro ectlons spirally arranged in the skirt of the cap adapted to engage screw threads on a con tainer, and vertical ribs extendin transversely of said skirt adapted to be attened to expand the skirt circumferentially thereby to facilitate removal ofsaid cap from the 1 container.

5. As an article of manufacture, a screw cap adapted to be applied to a continuous thread container comprising a cover portion, a depending skirt, a rolled edge at the bottom of said skirt, a series of thread engaging projections extending circumferentially and spirally of said skirt, said projections being formed by ressing inwardly the metal in,a continuous s irt, and a plurality of projections intermediate said thread engaging projections ada ted to be deformed to facilitate removal 0 said cap.

6. A sealed package comprising a container having a continuous thread thereon,

a closure ca having a cover portion and a depending skirt, a rolled edge at the bottom of the skirt, corrugations at the top of the skirt, spirally arranged projections in the skirt of the cap intermediate the rolled ed e and the corrugations adapted to engage t e thread on the container, and vertically disposed, outwardly extending projections intermediate said spiral projections extending substantiall the entire length of the skirt.

7. A sea ed package comprising a container having a continuous thread thereon, a closure ca having a cover portion and 8. depending s 'rt, a rolled edge at the bottom of the sklrt, corrugations at the top of the skirt, spirally arranged projections in the skirt of the cap intermediate the rolled edge and the corrugations'adapted to engage the thread on the container, said projections being formed by pressing inwardly the metalof the skirt withoutinterrupting the continuity of the skirt, and vertically disposed, outwardly extending projections intermediate said s iral pro ections extending substantially t e entire length of the skirt, said vertical projections being ada ted to be flattened to facilitate removal 0 the cap from the container.

' HAROLD J. CARR. 

